As The Yarn Bowl Turns.

Our biggest marketing challenge is helping yarn lovers imagine just how big our XXL-Jumbo Yarn Bowls actually are when reading dimensions. Here's a few tips to to help you make the right choice as you navigate through the five general sizes offered.

Our small, medium and large yarn bowls are all listed under the Large category, because Bob rarely turns small and medium yarn bowls. Bigger is better right? ​

The first dimension listed is the diameter of the bowl; measured (in inches) across the center from one side to the other. Depth of the bowl is the second measurement listed, however the diameter is what usually determines the size/category of a #HeckathornYarnBowl. To keep things simple we use standard bowl measurements, while the circumference is a much more impressive figure!

We might upsize an XXL (diameter), for example, to the XXXL category if the yarn bowl is unusually deep. All dimensions are approximate as wood has a tendency to warp making the top diameter vary slightly depending on where it's measured across. The depth of our XL - Jumbo Yarn Bowls vary considerably. For that reason, depths aren't listed below; however, depths are always included on each individual listing :

• JUMBO: 14" (plus!?) It's rare that Bob gets to turn a 14" Yarn Bowl. He would if more jumbo wood stock was available here, however, his XXXL yarn bowls are very close in size to Jumbo, and we usually have a few in both shops.

HINT:Make sure you know exactly what you're buying. A great trick is to find a glass or ceramic bowl of similar diameter/depth to be sure it will suit your needs. It's important that you know what you're getting before the bowl arrives at your door!

Our Large and XL yarn bowls appear to be the same size (or larger) than our XXL – JUMBO bowls. All our photos “fill the frame” so you can see the finest details.

In order to show off the distinct features of each yarn bowl it’s necessary to “fill the frame” of each photo. These close-up, tight product shots can be deceiving. When all the sizes are grouped and viewed together on our main product pages, the smaller bowls will fill more of the frame than the larger bowls because they are not as wide; thus they appear to be much taller than the larger yarn bowls.

That is why we always include one or two images of the bowls filled with yarn and tools as a reference point. We hope this helps you choose the perfect Heckathorn Yarn Bowl for your work style.

After our first few months of success with our Large Yarn Bowls in 2014, Bob started getting requests for "BIGGER" yarn bowls. While he was excited to go bigger, this presented several design challenges for both of us; as Bob searched for choice hardwoods from felled local trees, and I started testing the functionality of the bowls at work.

Bob's new #JumboYarnBowl line grew rapidly as he created XL, XXL, XXXL yarn bowls suited to different yarning styles and works in progress. Testing these bigger bowls, I found the bigger styles worked best with just two balls of yarn fed through the yarn groove even though there was tons of extra space in the vessel. More than two balls of yarn would inevitably tangle in the bowl before the groove; something I wanted to work out in the future. As fellow yarn enthusiasts snapped up Bob's new hardwood artisan yarn bowls, we were encouraged by lots of reviews from happy yarners who enjoyed "room for everything!"

One day, as Bob chucked up a huge piece of cherry on the lathe, he commented on what a massive, beautiful yarn bowl it would make. However, at only 3 1/2" in depth, a yarn groove wouldn't fit properly with the lower profile. I took one look and visualized a giant cherry bowl filled with all the yarn I needed for a single project. So, I asked him to finish it without a groove –for me. That was my first #JumboYarnBowl and I was hooked.

Instantly, it became my favorite yarn bowl –I could load it up with a ton of yarn, nevertheless, I still wanted to pull multiple balls simultaneously (or a couple together) from the top of the bowl without the yarn balls tangling. What I really wanted was a wheel of yarn that I could spin around at my side, seamlessly switching colors as needed. Finally, I popped a jelly jar in the middle of my "wheel" and made my first tool cup/hub! It worked like a dream, every ball rolled without tangling, but I really wanted a matchingcherry tool cup/hub...

When I asked Bob to make this small cherry cup to complete my new Jumbo Yarn Bowl Set, he groaned. Turning a small cup is easy he explained, but fitting his big man hands inside for twelve+ coats of hand sanding and silky finishing is not only difficult but the repetition generates a lot of hand cramps. For this reason, I understood why it took a few months of nagging before I was rewarded with two prototype tool cup/hubs (an extra one for our PA friend/tester Donnamarie).​

Those first tool cup/hubs were larger then we wanted, so I begged for "just one more" (and smaller, please, honey) and after a bit of grumbling, Bob completed the perfectly sized hub for our first Jumbo Bowl Set. I was thrilled, then the set sold right away and I couldn't get Bob to make any more tool cup/hubs come hell or high water!

Almost a year later, I got a request from Sherry. She had purchased a (deeper) Jumbo bowl, saw the picture of the set we had sold a year previously and emailed asking if Bob would make one. I laughed, then replied "good luck, I have been asking for a year... sorry but..." Then I told him Sherry asked for a hub, and Bob said yes!? I suppose, if I want something like this from Bob in the future, I'll get it quicker if I ask my friend Sherry in Oklahoma to ask him for me. 🤣😂😂 Isn't it amazing how the "process" works?

Labor intensive! Bob's cherry tool cup/hubs take as much wood and more finish time than his large yarn bowls which are 2-3 times larger in size.

Many turned wood pieces are not perfectly symmetrical in shape. Even with controlled slow drying, the wood may "twist and turn" in response to the speed of moisture loss and relative humidity. Some species of wood move more than others during drying, but many develop charming irregular twists and bends. This process adds to the beauty and character of your unique one-of-a-kind piece!

Green wood directly from the log of a felled tree contains more than 50% water. This “free water” is eliminated during the turning process, often giving the operator a cool shower. Bound water is what remains in the cells after the wood is turned. The outside surface dries first and becomes hard while the inner cells are still releasing water. This is what causes movement or cracking in the wood and is predominately tangential or diagonal to the direction of the grain thus causing the wood to twist. You can even find this in kiln dried building lumber at big box stores.

Some wood turners will rough turn a bowl thick, let it dry then re-turn it at a later date to try to get the perfect round bowl. I try to work with nature preferring to turn my bowls once paying more attention to adjusting drying conditions in order to achieve the best outcome. This includes monitoring high and low weather fronts; temperatures, humidity, etc. that often cause uneven moisture loss and a more dramatic reaction in the wood.

All wood even after finishing is hygroscopic in that it will constantly release or absorb moisture to be in equilibrium with surrounding air for the life of the piece. Yes, all your wood furniture is doing this as well. That is why we always caution our buyers that wooden bowls don't like prolonged exposure to water or direct heat.

Editors Note: I love the beautiful shape of a warped yarn bowl however, I've noticed all the north/south views of our "warped" yarn bowls, look oddly exaggerated (see pics 2 and 3 below), sometimes even distorted in photos. With better imaging skills, I might do better... nonetheless, I include every view so you can admire the grains and unique properties of each dimensional piece. –PTH

Bob has always wanted to carve elegant embellishments on yarn bowls. That’s why when he got a pneumatic power (dental) drill in January, I wondered where he was going to find the time to develop this new skill along with his 40 hr. week turning habit...

In April he suggested I give his new toy try (in my free ? time). I got the thing out and started carving and had to admit it was quite fun. Then I realized I needed to learn what all those burrs did, start with basics and draft something simple on the computer as a template to start honing my technique.

Carving templates are usually hardest part for new wood carvers however, I once had a job designing similar graphics for engraving machines, making this part a breeze. Back in the box the power carver went along with my free time!

Similar to writing with a pen, carving wood at up to a max speed of 500,000 RPM; offers amazing control –once you get the hang of it!

I finally got in a few practice sessions carving the words knit, crochet, yarn, etc., on wood samples and was ready to start something simple. Bob was a bit concerned when I asked for three segmented pine yarn bowls to carve words big on bowl in order to practice accurate curves, straight lines and removal. After carving, I filled the grooves with our sparkle inlay making three very blingy yarn bowls. He thinks they’re a bit tacky, I think they’re fun and festive –what do you think?

This was a fun exercise to learn the basics, but I plan to do more intricate carvings (no inlay) in future works. Find these three at our Etsy Shop –like all our bowls, definitely one-of-a-kind!

Now I’m hooked. Yesterday, Bob roughed out a XXL Cherry Yarn Bowl that’s begging for a nice carved relief border around the rim. I’ll certainly need get to work on carving technique in the next few weeks while the bowl cures.

Power carving is fun and relaxing when I have this 500,000 RPM tool in my hand. However, I was recently paralyzed with fear when my hygienist used a similar drill to clean my teeth on my last dental visit. I was suddenly struck by the trust I was putting in my dentist, with this high powered tool

Caring for your Heckathorn Yarn Bowl is as easy as an occasional buffing with whatever furniture wax you use at home. However, many of our yarn bowl enthusiasts ask what we use.

Before we ship each yarn bowl, Bob applies a fine coat of Renaissance™ Micro-Crystalline Wax Polish and gives the piece a vigorous hand buff with a soft cloth. This wax adds brilliance and resists fingerprints and serves well for a multitude of other household polishing purposes.

Renaissance™ Wax is a mix of "refined waxes blended to a formula used by the British Museum and restoration specialists internationally to revive and protect valuable furniture, leather, paintings metals, marble, ivory, etc..." Although it's a bit pricey (currently $15.95 on Amazon.com) it's well worth it. The small 200 ml can should last a lifetime unless you decide to restore your leather couch or polish your marble countertops with it!

Reclaimed hardwoods are not always available here, and while Florida live oak is plentiful, premium hardwoods like cherry, pecan, cedar and camphor to name a few are a rare find. Recently, Bob found a reliable source for prime cherry hardwood; a particular favorite with minimal warping, stunning tones and a very hard durable finish that resists dents and dings.

Turning reclaimed wood into yarn bowls is a lengthy process over several months, starting with a very rough turning, shaping and hollowing of each piece. After roughing out, each bowl is set aside for a drying period of one to four months time depending on weather conditions (humidity, barometric pressure and temperature).

Rough turned yarn bowls, drying over time.

The drying period is the most critical stage for a piece of fresh turned wood. A stretch of dry, cool weather for example can cause the bowls to warp and crack. Some hardwoods (like cherry) are less prone to warping and cracking, other hardwoods gently warp, while many crack considerably, or warp and crack. Nature determines the condition of the bowl when it’s dry enough; as interesting wood patterns and challenges emerge. The choicest bowls are finished first.

Most wood turners reject cracked and warped bowls; discarding them to focus on more pristine specimens. Bob sets these nature challenged bowls aside until his supply of hardwood gets low, and he has the necessary hours to rescue these gifts from nature. This is when the real magic begins –with restoration techniques that result in his most artful offerings.

Natural cracking during the drying process.

The larger cracks are filled with our proprietary inlay; in custom colors mixed to complement the bowl. Fine cracks are filled to match the wood tones. Bob’s process follows the ancient Japanese philosophy “Wabi-Sabi”, embracing the flawed or imperfect; highlighting the cracks and repairs to honor the life of an object rather than allowing its service to end at the time of its damage or breakage. Performing "Kintsugi" (the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery) on reclaimed wood yarn bowls results in some stunning effects! For details and photos of this work in process, check out “Wood Wabi-Sabi Trending Home Decor 2018.”

Eastern red cedar (Juniperus virginiana) is a lovely Florida native that adds year-round greenery and texture to our landscape. While Cedar is classified as a soft wood, it is a particularly strong soft wood that is not prone to warping or sagging. The contrasting red and butter tones make stunning, interesting bowls with a color pop that’s nicely enhanced by Bob's signature silky smooth, brilliant finish.​

While his lengthy finishing process hardens the wood (and sadly masks its nice scent); Bob notes that cedar yarn bowls are more prone to small dents and dings over time, which give personality to your heirloom bowl for future generations.​

Harder woods (like cherry, oak and pecan), are more resistant to dents and marks with continued use; although if you love the look of our cedar yarn bowls like we do, place it on a round cutout of non-skid fabric or crocheted mandala and give it a little extra TLC! Your magnificent and functional cedar bowl will turn your #wip into a conversation piece wherever it rests.

Juniperus virginiana

Place your Yarn Bowl on a round cutout of non-skid fabric or crocheted mandala.

Spalted Wood Makes Beautiful Yarn Bowls; but what makes spalting in wood so special to wood enthusiasts? Spalting is the beginning of decay in wood due to natural invasion of fungal spores. These spores start colonies and grow in the wood forming interesting discolorations as the wood fibers begin to decay. If caught at the right time and stabilized, spalting can result in various stunning effects; enhancing the value of the piece.

Some spalting forms "zone lines" –sharply defined black lines, often called "black-line spalting". Zone lines may appear as single or double lines. This is the result of the spore colonies creating a protective barrier either around themselves (single-line spalting) or in what is basically a "war" with a neighboring colony (double-line spalting).

In some trees, such as oak or maple, spalting is rarely black-line often resulting in vague, amorphous, blotchy black or dark-gray areas. On rare occasions, spalting may cause colorful changes other than black.

Black-Line Spalting

XL Spalted Hackberry Yarn Bowl #1059

Spalting Detail

Whenever I find an interesting piece of wood that nature has spalted, it makes a particulary beautiful yarn bowl. Once the bowl is finished, the spalting process stops, embedding its artful form into the wood. These yarn bowls are always snapped up quickly by collectors!

​A few months ago a neighbor offered me wood from a Bottlebrush tree felled in his yard. I took a small log because the grain was interesting and I had never turned Weeping Bottlebrush (Callistemon viminalis).

​When I prepared (two) bowl blanks from the log I discovered the wood was in advanced stages of decay and decided to persevere because decay often produces interesting spalted patterns. This was the perfect specimen to practice the Japanese philosophy of Wabi-Sabi; embracing the flaws as a natural event, while giving wood further life by enhancing weak spots with inlay, similar to “Kintsugi” The Japanese Art of Repair.

​One blank I had to discard because it was too soft to safely turn. The other I mounted up and took a chance that it wouldn’t disintegrate. What emerged was a fascinating bowl with a blend of decay interspersed with sound wood. In some spots it was very spongy with colorful decay. Other spots completely rotted through; indicating hours of work to come.

Rough turned and stabilized.

Filled with inlay, rough sanded.

I stabilized the piece with wood hardener, which petrified the decay, making it stable enough to work through the sanding and finishing stages. The blue inlay is where the wood was rotted through; the golden tones are various stages of decay while the rust areas are sound wood, unaffected by decay bacteria.

After twenty sanding and finishing cycles, I was rewarded with a finish like glass, interesting spalting and grains enhanced by pools and veins of our proprietary inlay. This bowl was so much fun to work with, I'm saving it to my personal collection as inspiration for future wood Wabi-Sabi.​

With so many different choices and styles of yarn bowls, which one is right for you? Many potters and craftsmen offer yarn bowls that look great, but how many knit or crochet themselves to understand how to create a yarn bowl that performs the best?

Created by a Lathe Artist and tested by a Knitting & Crochet fanatic; for this husband and wife team creating Heckathorn Turned Wood Yarn Bowls isn’t a just business, it’s a passion!

India & China have recently entered the market with yarn bowls claiming to be "handcrafted". These bowls are quickly hand sanded and finished, skipping days and hours of the necessary ten sanding/finish cycles which ensure a silky smooth finish to the wood grain that won't snag, damage and pull on your yarn! Yarn shops, WalMart, even Etsy Shop owners have gotten on the band wagon offering these mass-produced versions at rock bottom prices. Yes, they're cheap, but remember the old adage; you get what you pay for!

​THE SIZE & SHAPEOur best selling Large Yarn Bowls are taller and narrower than competing yarn bowls. The tall sides are designed to loosely hug a ball of yarn to prevent it from popping out when the yarn is tugged quickly A standard 3.5 oz. skein of 4 ply worsted yarn rolled in a ball will fit with room to spare, with most of our large bowls easily accommodating an oversized 5 oz., 8 - 9” ball (about 75% of a “Super Saver” skein).

Our Large Yarn Bowls Hold A LOT!

Fits an entire 3.5 oz skein of worsted!

​FORM & FUNCTIONWe've had a couple requests to “drill some holes in the sides of our yarn bowls for knitting needles…” While needle holes may add interest to some yarn bowls, they just don’t work with the deeper profile of our designs.​As form meets function in all of our yarn bowls, we hope to shed some light on how important the ease of use is as well as the natural beauty Bob brings out in the wood. We hope you make the right choice for your needs. If it’s a Large Yarn Bowl by Heckathorn Turned Wood, we’re confident that you’ll share our passion for these fun and functional collectibles.

​SELECTION & VALUEEvery yarn bowl is made to strict gallery grade standards. Bob tries to stock a varied selection with segmented pine bowls (shown here), priced from $70-99; an incredible value considering the hours spent to elevate each piece to “Collectible” status! Each Large Yarn Bowl takes a minimum of fifteen hours of work. After shaping and turning the bowl on the lathe, the bowls are painstakingly hand finished with over ten individual rounds of sanding, buffing, coating and drying. Under optimum weather conditions this process alone takes up to five days. A final coat of museum wax is applied and buffed to resist fingerprints and stains.

​In August I started looking for a round crochet tablecloth pattern. Google searches produced lots of vintage (white and ecru) lace tablecloth patterns. Some were beautifully intricate, most comprised of circle motifs. And, while I love crocheting hundreds of little circles to relax, joining circles into a giant circle was daunting to me... not the long relaxing #MindlessCrochet project I was looking for.

Varying 1, 2 or 3 rows of each color gives a 3D effect when shot from above.

Round pointed afghan projects gaining popularity on Instagram inspired me to bust out my stash of ultra fine cotton and a small hook. I kept increasing a "12 Pointed Star Crochet Throw" pattern (lots of free ones on www.ravelry.com) to a 74" diameter tablecloth. These patterns adapt well to finer crochet cottons with a smaller hook.

​The drake elm (also called Chinese elm or lacebark elm) is a quick-growing elm tree that naturally develops a dense, rounded, umbrella shaped canopy. Native to eastern Asia, including China, India, Taiwan, Japan, North Korea, and Vietnam; it has been described as "one of the most splendid elms, having poise and grace.

Introduced to Europe at the end of the 18th century as an ornamental; it is found in many botanical gardens and arboreta. In the United States, it appeared in the middle of the 19th century, and has proved very popular in recent years as a replacement for American elms killed by Dutch elm disease.

Drake Elm heartwood ranges in tone from reddish brown to light tan or flesh colored, while the sapwood approaches off-white. The grain is often handsome and dramatic; perfect for turning interesting #JumboYarnBowls. Unlike other Elms, freshly cut Drake Elm has a peppery or spicy odor. It turns easily, takes a nice polish off the lathe without any finish, and holds detail well.

Why the hackberry is not a more well known tree is a mystery to many. Well known by tree experts to be “one tough tree” hackberry trees produce a quality hardwood found on a wide range of soils east of the Rockies from southern Canada to Florida. They thrive in a broad span of temperatures and sites that vary from 14 to 60" of annual rainfall. With a growth pattern that resembles the elm –without the susceptibility to disease; they can even stand up to strong winds and tolerate air pollution. The bark and berries are striking, and they make excellent shade and street specimens.

All of this hardiness adds up to a good landscape choice, especially for those seeking energy-conserving shade tree that doesn’t require watering. The fruit of the hackberry is popular with winter birds, and also attracts many butterfly species.

In earlier years, its tough, flexible wood was used for barrel hoops, and many a pioneer cabin was equipped with durable hackberry wood flooring. The tree was first cultivated in 1636. Other common names given to the hackberry include common hackberry, sugarberry, nettletree, beaverwood, northern hackberry and American hackberry.

Bob enjoyed seeing the coffee colored grains that come to life through the finishing process. Special properties include some desirable spalting and subtle earthy green undertone when compared to the warmer tones found in other lighter toned woods like Pecan or Maple.

Interesting Hackberry Bark.

Striking Hackberry fruit is popular with winter birds and attracts many butterfly species.

Rough turning a Jumbo Yarn Bowls produce a massive quantities wood shavings. As a result reclaiming and recommitting the wood, has become a very large part of Bob’s natural work process.

Every time a Jumbo bowl is designed and rough turned, it produces a 30 gallon (plus) yard bag packed full of beautiful wood shavings. Storing and transferring dozens of bags to the landfill on a weekly basis seemed wasteful, and our community gardens had their fill. When Bob found out his boxing Trainer/Master Gardening buddy; Luis Camacho needed an endless supply of mulch for his large tropical gardens at home, the problem was solved. ​The best thing is that Bob’s commitment to turning the shavings back to the earth isn’t only the green way; but a way for him to stay healthy as well. As long as he’s turning, Bob has to continue his rigorous boxing sessions twice a week so Luis can recycle them back to mother nature. Heck of a good thing.

The main function of a Yarn Bowl is to hold your yarn ball so it doesn't roll all over the room while you're working. Our Medium, Large, and XL Yarn Bowls serve that purpose very well! However, when we started getting numerous requests for bigger bowls, Bob started creating XXL, XXXL and occassionally "Jumbo" Yarn Bowls.

These yarn project bowls serve the usual purpose –allowing one or two larger balls of yarn to roll freely in the bowl with the added benefit of extra room to decoratively store your project, extra yarn, tools, pattern, etc.

When purchasing our oversized XXL+ Yarn Project Bowls, please keep in mind that while two balls of yarn will "roll nicely" when using the yarn groove, three or more large balls of yarn have a tendency to tangle when you feed individual yarns all together through the groove.

If you're purchasing an XXL+ Yarn Bowl in order to work with three or more different large balls rolling in the bowl at one time, please be advised that you'll need to let the balls of yarn pull freely (from the top of the bowl) without locking them into the groove, this should prevent them from tangling in the bowl!

TIP:Add a small cup or jelly jar in the middle of the bowl creating a "hub". The cup will hold your tools and scraps and allow multiple balls of yarn to pull freely from the top without tangling!

When friends have an ailing or unruly tree they call me, knowing how I enjoy creating oversized yarn bowls from reclaimed wood. Occasionally one of these trees might turn out to be a hardwood that will morph into a couple stunning pieces. After the wood is cut, hauled, prepped and blanks are made, the real fun begins with lathe work and hand finishing.

These six yarn bowls are from the wood of a White Mulberry freshly cut last fall. Their lobed, alternate leaves and abundant, edible fruits distinguish these deciduous trees. Known as Morus alba, the White Mulberry tree is a fast-growing small to medium sized tree, growing 30 – 50’ tall, with a lifespan comparable to humans.

The leaves of the White Mulberry have been used in China since at least 2600 BC as the primary diet for silkworms. The tree was introduced into North America in colonial times in efforts to establish a silk industry. Although the industry never took hold here, the trees did take hold and, over time has naturalized in fields, forest margins and along roads throughout much of the US.

​I enjoy seeing what magic nature has hidden inside each particular species. This Mulberry didn’t disappoint with its buttery tones and grains from creamy beige to soft greys, in six unique shapes dried to a natural soft warp. This select group of XL - XXL Yarn bowls is composed of mid-range sizes I can never seem to make enough of!

I spend a lot of time sharing photos of finished yarn bowls on our Facebook page and Instagram feed, but rarely share shop pics with a glimpse of how they're made. With the big light on Bob's lathe, flying wood chips, wood dust and debris, it's not what you'd call glamorous and it's a challenge to show what can often be grueling and repetitious hard work!

Today, as I brought him his daily hydrating tea at 11 o'clock, I thought about the work he does every day in a shop with no climate control. Although Bob has always enjoyed working in the heat (?) I constantly marvel about what he accomplishes in the 95-105 degree humid heat of Central FL early June into October. Now that his northern body has acclimated to the climate here, he says he prefers it to the (temperate 60 - 70 degree) "winter" weather I enjoy late Dec. - March. After suffering from my summer version of cabin fever I say "bring it on!"

In the spirit of sharing, I thought I'd take a moment to say how much admiration I have for my hard working husband/lathe artist. He does a lot of amazing work under some pretty harsh conditions. So here's to you Bob, I'm your biggest fan; knowing that along with the heart and soul you put into all these yarn bowls there's a heck of a lot of sweat, too!

Many of our segmented pine yarn bowls mention “translucent qualities” in the wood, usually indicated by dark brown markings in wood grains. When held up to a strong light, these areas are transformed to a beautiful, rich translucent gold color. This is due to the heavy concentration of resin or sap, a natural secretion of the wood, which glows a reddish amber color when it collects in high concentration.

Amber is a result of fossilization of this sticky sap resulting in varnishes and many other by-products made from it throughout history. Some wood turners enhance the effect by many soakings in solutions of their choice. I prefer to achieve this effect naturally and let nature take its course by simply hand-buffing each pine bowl as usual with several layers of finish. However, when resin laden spots occur naturally, it’s a nice bonus; enhancing that bowl even more.

Usually, you need to hold the bowl over a bright light to see the translucent areas. Or, if placed in bright sunlight* will light the bowl up naturally. So, look for these features if you want a little “hidden surprise” when choosing your yarn bowl!

*Note: Any wood product can suffer damage if subjected to excessive heat. Never display/store your yarn bowl in direct sunlight for a prolonged period of time!

​On rare occasions Bob finds some fresh “green” hardwood (Cherry, Pecan and Maple to name a few) from a fallen tree or local tree trimmer. And, although turning green wood bowls on a lathe is easier because it’s in a soft state, the necessary drying process that ensues is risky!

After a fresh wood yarn bowl is turned, it is set aside to dry. Depending on the current weather conditions (like relative humidity, barometric pressure and temperature to name a few) the drying process takes one to three months. As the hardwood dries, it has a tendency to warp and crack. Warping usually adds nice character to the yarn bowls; however, Bob feels that cracking; which is easily repaired in the finishing process, is an undesirable feature in some of his collectible art bowls. As his partner, I try to respect those high standards while at the same time viewing the cracks that ensue as the final word from nature!

Too often, I’ve watched Bob throw a beautiful yarn bowl into the recycling bin and felt that his lack of control over a few small cracks deprived a fellow yarn crafter of a unique and naturally beautiful piece. After some whining on my part, Finally, Bob acquiesced and started finishing these natural wonders when the occasion arises. Now, I’m able to offer a distinctive piece at deeply discounted price.

There’s a lot of value in our “Perfectly Imperfect” Yarn Bowls. Each one takes ten to twenty hours (at the least) to make –the same amount of time it takes to create a first quality bowl. For those who may not be able to invest in our first quality yarn bowls, I consider these pieces to be a special offering from Heckathorn Turned Wood as they are all authentic gifts of nature!

You'll find that select YARN BOWLS in our Etsy shop feature our proprietary "Inlay" or "Sparkle Inlay" enhancing a knot or set into the rim of the bowl for added appeal. We have developed a special process of mixing custom colors and textures to match the style and color tones of each individual bowl Bob adds Inlay to.

This eye-catching element raises the bowl value and collector status. So, be on the lookout for yarn bowls that mention "Inlay" in the title... the detail of the inlay doesn't often show on the main product thumbnail. However, when inlay is added to a yarn bowl, close up photos are usually provided to show this beautiful added feature.

Last week I received a call from a tree cutter friend who was contracted to remove a special tree, which was growing too close to a building. Not recognizing the species, he had contacted an Arborist who correctly identified the tree as Agathis robusta, commonly know as “Queensland Kauri”.

Native to Australia, New Guinea and New Zealand, this species has a history that goes back to the age of the dinosaurs. A coniferous evergreen reaching massive heights of 200 plus, Kauri has been heavily logged over time, although New Zealand controls harvesting.

A few Kauri’s grow in warmer U.S. states like California and Florida from zone nine south. The wood is highly favored by woodworkers crafting cabinets, furniture, guitars and violins.

I rescued a few choice specimens of this exotic wood from a big dumpster, and I’m turning some fine XXL Yarn Bowls. It’s fitting that the word Agathis is Greek “for a ball of thread (or yarn!), an allusion to the spherical female cone…” After a few months of curing, I’ll be able to start the finishing process and I anticipate a magnificent sheen, exquisite tones and grains in this beautiful wood. Snap one up –these go fast!

After many requests, we've added a few Extra Large to Jumbo Yarn Bowls to our lineup. Look for more of these oversized bowls soon, sized from XL to a whopping Jumbo topping 14" in diameter.

#JumboYarnBowls make all your yarn projects portable and pretty whenever your work is set aside. From projects with several colors to very large balls of blanket or rug yarn, these big yarn bowls will accommodate with plenty of room to store your extras.

I would like to share my experience of adding wood shavings to garden soil and hope to dispel some of the bad raps on doing so. First of all, I live where a lot of builders’ sand and fill was added when the house was built so I don’t have native soil, which in central Florida contains Mayakka sand to begin with. As a former Master gardener I learned that composting is the first important step to amending soil for a successful garden. Second, being a wood turner I generate a lot of wood shavings and I compost kitchen waste so I have two important ingredients to start with. I researched many sites of those who have tried this and was left scratching my head about the pros and cons but had to find out for myself so this is what I do. I do not use shavings from walnut, which is supposed to poison young plants nor do I use any aromatic wood like camphor or cedar relying on woods like cherry, oak and pine. Now I can hear someone screaming that green shavings rob nitrogen from the soil during the decomposition process. My solution is to add a cup or two of composted cow manure available at the big box stores. Of course if the wood is already kiln dried this is not an issue. I do not use store bought composting drums, bins and such, which take weeks and occasional turning to make compost and then you have to transfer it to the garden. I simply take my kitchen scraps*, a generous amount of shavings and a little composted cow manure and place all three in a hole that I have dug in an unplanted part of my garden. I do this all through wherever I can find a new space and in ten to fifteen days it has decomposed and ready to provide nutrition. Earthworms do all the work so when you dig and see them smile and thank Mother Nature for the help. The growth of an occasional mushroom or fungi is also nature’s way of helping to break down the wood. *Be sure to follow proper composting guidelines.

One of the hottest sellers at our new Etsy shop has been my Segmented Pine Yarn Bowls. With demand for these bowls in mind, I created the new shooting star groove design as an alternative to the standard (J) hook design. It just seemed more artistically harmonious and gives easy control of the yarn, while the stars points allow the yarn to be pulled in different directions in a controlled manner.

I use no stains or dyes, sanding each piece to a fine finish so your yarn won’t snag. Choose from small, medium or large with one-of-a-kind variations in wood grain and star groove placement. Each piece is signed and numbered.